Redemption
by Strawberri Leigh
Summary: A boy with nothing left to lose, a friend who had lost his way, a man just starting a family, and a barely of age woman who already had a husband and was being seduced for her power started a chain of events that would screw the recent prophecy of a baby being able to defeat Tom with a power he knew not and would change the course of the future.
1. Prologue

The Wizarding World had been in turmoil for years until one day the threat vanished. Why a man who desired nothing but power would suddenly up and disappear, no one knew. His followers knew not what to do with no one to lead them and went chaotic- except for a select few. The madman's Inner Circle went about with their lives as if nothing had changed, but they themselves changed. They started using his name- Tom Riddle- and no longer referred to him as their Lord which angered many of their inferior, fellow ex-Death Eaters. They spread the true story of Tom and rid the world of the hyped up lies of a monster out to destroy everything and everyone in his way. The man who had only sought to rule the world at first had quickly dissolved into a maniac seeking to purify the world of all of those he deemed "impure". These few people ensured that the same world Tom sought to purge of impurity knew that the man behind the scenes had only one magical parent. There was nothing pure about him in blood or character, and, ultimately, he had been mortal despite all of his searching for immortality. He had entrusted pieces of his soul to the wrong people.

A boy groomed his whole life to follow the examples of hatred and bigotry set before him began Tom's defeat. He gained the trust and help of a man only a few years older than he and who had regretfully discovered that the promises made to him meant nothing anymore. The unlikely team had secured the help of another wizard who had grown to resent what and who he had all but signed his life away for, and who had just discovered his wife's pregnancy. From there, the support of the downfall of Tom grew within his most trusted followers. Not long after Regulus Black had entrusted Peter Pettigrew and Lucius Malfoy with his plan, Bellatrix Lestrange approached them in need of their help through her sister and Lucius' wife Narcissa. Bella was pregnant, and the baby did not belong to her husband but to Tom Riddle. She feared for her baby's life and her borderline obsession with Tom had slammed to a halt when she came to the realization of what he would do when he learned of her pregnancy. She held certain to the belief that either Tom would kill her baby or raise it to be his heir. She could not fathom and would not tolerate Tom raising her child to be a twisted, cruel, and insane witch or wizard.

A boy with nothing left to lose, a friend who had lost his way, a man just starting a family, and a barely of age woman who already had a husband and was being seduced for her power started a chain of events that would screw the recent prophecy of a baby being able to defeat Tom with a power he knew not and would change the course of the future.

A/N: If you couldn't tell, this story will be AU; and the M rating will be for possible language and violence. I do not (at this time) see any other things that could warrant an M rating, but if something comes up in a chapter that should be for mature audiences only or could have possible triggers in it, I will warn you in an author's note at the top of the page. Thank you for reading, and I hope you stick around to see if this unlikely cast can find redemption for what has become of them and their lives.


	2. Chapter One

The full moon cast eerie shadows across the already haunting walls of Grimmauld Place as a shaking Regulus silently tread up the stairs. The mounted heads of the house's previous elves stared at him wide-eyed, and his stomach rolled with the reminder of the atrocities he had been coerced into that left people- _children_ \- staring at him with their eyes pleading as much as the worthless elves had.

Those horrific nights left nothing to be wanted if you had the sadistic mind and longing for torture that some did- and Regulus did not. However, those nights had nothing on what he had been tasked to do the night before. To watch someone rip their soul apart willingly, to see the unadulterated madness and pleasure in doing so, he had been forced to turn away in fear of Voldemort seeing even a glimpse of the disgust he felt.

Fingering the locket he had returned to the dreaded cave for, feeling its pulse of darkness, he collapsed onto his bed and called for his elf Kreacher.

Immediately at Regulus' side, the elf bowed. "What does Master require of Kreacher?"

He could hardly turn his head toward his companion, and Kreacher was frightened at his Regulus' state.

As the creature opened its mouth, Regulus told him firmly, "No questions. Hide this, and never speak of it or this night. If I'm dead in the morning, you still shall not breathe a word."

Kreacher felt torn but lived to serve his Master's wishes as all elves did. He finished what he was commanded before returning to sit beside the sick Regulus until the sun replaced the moon's light.

A ways away, a blonde woman paced back in forth in dilemma. Should she tell her husband and risk having her child become someone she could not bear to look at, someone who might become like the one she was bound to follow even without a mark on her arm? Or should she take the potion, let it work its magic, and have no baby to fear for? The potion sat on her vanity, sparkling in the low lighting of the candles and fireplace. It sat so prettily in the light as if to tempt her further.

Narcissa was many things, but she did not think herself a murderer. Hardly a month along, her baby could not be much of anything yet, but it was her baby. It could be her hope in the dark times undoubtedly coming.

 _Or it could be your worst nightmare come to life._

How could she do something so horrible to something so innocent?

 _To protect its innocence._

The unwelcome thought wormed its way into her mind and would not leave. Staring into the mirror, a woman of indecision stared back. The bags under her eyes could not be seen for the glamour covering them. The only sign of her stress and subsequent sleepless nights was the tiredness reflecting in the blue eyes in the mirror.

Narcissa could not do it, she decided. She could not bring a daughter into this madness and have her married off to someone cruel, and, Merlin forbid if she carried a son. He would have no option but to follow his father's footsteps.

 _Lucius forgive me._

She grabbed the vial and lifted it to her lips.

The game of cat and mouse had been going on since he had first met her.

As a Black, Bellatrix had marvelous power in her name and inside of herself. As a Black, she also had darkness in both her name and in her magic. When that darkness bubbled in her blood, she could be crazy and as mad as the definition of evil. Most of the time when the madness threatened to overcome her, she embraced it, but sometimes she abhorred it.

He loved it- as much as he could love. In better words, he craved her madness. The darkness in her called to him, her power called to him, and, as he was human, her body called to him.

Voldemort wanted Bellatrix Black, but that woman was gone.

She had become Bellatrix Lestrange a week before their having met.

He had been playing this back and forth with her for two years now, and he had grown to see how well they would be together. He could easily command her husband to step aside and let him claim what he wanted, let him take her as many times as he wanted and as often as he wanted, or he could do away with him all together. A simple Avada would be no trouble at all.

However, to force Rodolphus out of his way was not enough.

More than Voldemort wanted Bella's power, he wanted to break her. He wanted her at his feet groveling for him. He wanted her to be his completely, for her only desire to be whatever he desired.

No, he would not make the choice for her. She would choose for herself, and she would choose him. After all, he had a special gift for her tonight. She would want to repay him for it as they celebrated.

Sitting on his arm chair in front of the fire, he called to her through the mark. Her mark differed from the others, and tonight she would find out how.

Wrist burning, Bellatrix jerked awake. Why he called in the middle of the night when she knew there was no raid scheduled, she had no idea. This was a first for him. In the back of her mind, she held an idea of what he could want, but she dared not let the thought come forward.

Rodolphus' arm tightened around her waist as he pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck.

"What's the matter, love?"

She patted his arm to signal her need to get up, and he obliged with a sigh.

"Are you alright?"

"He's calling," she whispered as she climbed from under the blankets.

"No, he's not, pet; come back to bed."

Changing out of her nightgown, she scoffed, "He might not be calling you, but he wants me."

The double meaning, while unintended, was not lost on her husband who fell into his wife's abandoned pillow with a huff. Despite what his Lord might think, Rodolphus was neither dumb nor blind. He saw Voldemort's advances on his wife, and he could guess the other man's plans as he observed their interactions.

Bellatrix got off on the more, shall we say, taxing missions, and, un-coincidentally, Voldemort always accompanied her on them. Alone.

Rodolphus had asked her to be faithful as well as to be truthful, and she had been both so far. He held almost no qualms for letting his wife venture out tonight, but he knew that one day she could give in to Voldemort's chase.

The ceased ruffling of clothing and a sharp pop let him know Bellatrix had left. He rolled back to his side of the bed and settled back in for the night not knowing that the Dark Lord had cause to celebrate and now someone to celebrate with.

The seduction would end tonight.


End file.
